


Setting the Precedent

by aosav



Series: Kageyama Friendships [2]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-02
Updated: 2017-02-02
Packaged: 2018-09-21 12:08:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,097
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9548429
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aosav/pseuds/aosav
Summary: Kageyama texts Kenma to ask for advice about setting.





	

Kenma reaches for his buzzing phone without taking his eyes off the screen of his Gameboy. It’s probably Kuroo, texting to check in while he and Bokuto are off hiking or bowling or something. They invited Kenma, but it was something that would leave him sweaty and with nothing to show for it, whatever it was, so Kenma declined. He would much rather spend his weekend playing video games at home than going rollerblading or “adventure biking.”

Once he gets to the end of the level, Kenma pauses the game and checks his messages. There is only one new message – from an unknown number.

**Unknown Number:** is this kozume kenmas number?

Kenma frowns. Who would have his number without knowing it’s his number? He hesitates for a moment, but then texts back.

**Kozume Kenma:** Yes. Who is this?

The reply is immediate.

**Unknown Number:** kageyama tobio from karasuno. hinata gave me your number.

Kenma does not appreciate Shouyou giving his number out without asking. Kenma is very particular about who he gives his number to. Kageyama, despite Shouyou’s insistence that he is a great – if grumpy – person, is not someone that Kenma would have chosen to have his number.

Before Kenma can decide how to respond to Kageyama, his phone buzzes again.

**Unknown Number:** i want to ask you a question about setting.

That is … unexpected. Kageyama is an amazing setter. Kenma watched him at the joint training camp – Kageyama has improved a lot since Nekoma and Karasuno played their first practice match against each other, and he wasn’t bad back then either.

**Kozume Kenma:** Why?

Again, the reply is immediate.

**Unknown Number:**  i saw you use a technique at the training camp and i have tried to figure it out but i can’t.

Kenma is a little bit flattered, but he still doesn’t really want to engage Kageyama. Kageyama is intense. Shouyou is intense too, but mostly just because of his insane energy levels – he’s actually pretty laidback about most things other than volleyball. According to Shouyou, Kageyama doesn’t talk about anything _except_ volleyball, and he makes Shouyou look like … well, like Kenma, in comparison.

**Kozume Kenma:** I don’t think I’ll be much help over text. It’s difficult to explain things like that when you can’t demonstrate what you’re talking about.

There. Hopefully Kageyama will take the hint and leave Kenma alone now.

Kenma goes back to his video game.

Seconds later, Kageyama texts back.

**Unknown Number:** i’m sure i can figure it out if you help me with the part i don’t understand. i almost have it but i think i’m standing wrong.

Kenma pauses his game again. He taps his finger against the side of his Gameboy. He’s kind of curious now, but it isn’t worth the risk of getting involved. He doesn’t want to set a precedent here.

He tries another tactic.

**Kozume Kenma:** Don’t you have an upperclassman setter at Karasuno?

Kenma's phone buzzes almost as soon as he sends the text.

**Unknown Number:** yes.

According to Shouyou, Kageyama looks up to their other setter a lot. And Sugawara seems very helpful, from what little Kenma has seen of him. Surely he can give Kageyama the advice that Kageyama is looking for.

**Kozume Kenma:** Why don’t you ask him, then?

It takes a moment for Kageyama to text back this time. Kenma waits, holding his phone in his lap and staring at the screen.

**Unknown Number:** i did. he isn’t familiar with this technique either. i would really appreciate your advice, kozume-san.

Kenma bites his lip. He really, really doesn’t want to end up on the hook to help Kageyama with volleyball stuff all the time. Kenma hasn’t ever talked to Kageyama in person, but Kageyama makes him nervous. At their first practice match, Kageyama glared at Kenma after they finished the last game. It was extremely unnerving. Kenma avoided him until they left, but it wasn’t easy – Kageyama tried to corner him later on and Kenma had to use Yaku as a human shield. The barbeque at the end of training camp is the most relaxed that Kenma has ever seen Kageyama, and even then he wasn’t actually relaxed – he was fixated on the players around him who were talking about volleyball. Kenma had avoided him then, too.

Shouyou insists that Kageyama is wonderful, but he also told Kenma that Kageyama threw him onto the floor when they had a fight shortly after the joint training camp. Shouyou’s judgement is questionable at best.

… Akaashi said that Kageyama isn’t all that difficult to talk to once you ignore his awkwardness and the staring, though. Akaashi didn’t talk to Kageyama much at the training camp, but they did speak once or twice. Kageyama is very attentive and polite, according to Akaashi.

His phone buzzes again and Kenma looks down.

**Unknown Number:** please.

He has no responsibility to help Kageyama. Kenma firmly believes this. Kageyama goes to a different school – a rival school, potentially, if they both make it to Nationals in the spring. Kenma has no responsibility to help Kageyama with setting techniques or anything else.

He doesn’t.

He really, really doesn’t.

… But Kageyama did say please.

And Akaashi said that Kageyama is harmless. Kenma generally values Akaashi's judgement quite highly.

Kenma sighs.

**Kozume Kenma:** Fine. Ask me.

While he waits for Kageyama to type out his question – which is, apparently, pretty long – Kenma adds Kageyama’s number to his contacts. He likes to have things organized, and seeing “unknown number” instead of a name is annoying. Not that Kenma expects Kageyama to text him again after this. Or wants him to. Kenma isn’t interested in becoming friends with Kageyama; he has enough friends, and more than enough of them are far too excitable and overly obsessed with volleyball.

But, you know, just in case.

His phone buzzes, and Kenma sets his Gameboy aside.

He’ll have a talk with Shouyou later about giving his number out without his permission. For now, he focuses on talking Kageyama through the technique he is so interested in. He ends up having to go outside and physically do the technique himself to remember exactly how he does it and, twenty minutes and a dozen texts later, Kenma is sweating.

But at least, with his buzzing phone announcing Kageyama's profuse thanks and drawing a smile out of Kenma, he has something to show for it.

 

* * *

 

(He doesn’t know until a week and a half later that he did, in fact, set a precedent that afternoon.

He doesn’t know until a few minutes after that that he really doesn’t mind.)


End file.
